The Titanoboa was found in columbia, thus it is thought that the titanoboa roamed in areas around South America in the tropics.The Titanoboa was most likely to roam these areas for multiple reasons.The first and most obvious is that the tropics offer a large amount of prey. If rainforest is where most animals are found in todays time where most species have been wiped out and half the rainforest has been cut down, then one can only imagine the amount of life and diversity found in a rainforest back 60 millions years ago when this snake flourished.The Titanoboa because of it's size (12-15m) can almost kill and consume anything it wants. Other reasons can be reasons such as the shrub and tree's provide cover for the Titanoboa to stealthily sneak up on it's prey. This is useful seeing as anything that spotted a Titanoboa would most likely flee the area. The last reason may be that the tall tree's give the Titanoboa access to more variety of prey because the heights of the tree's give the Titanoboa opportunity to catch flying birds and to reach their nests.
Adaptations
Structural: Large Size:The Titanoboa has a large advantage over other animals with it's sheer size. After the fall of the dinosaurs the Titanoboa stepped in as the number one predators and the reason is that it was simply bigger than other animals. This serpent swallows crocodiles as snacks which have been here since dinosaurs. A possible environmental preassure that caused it to be as such could be that only the biggest serpents survived in it's time with other large predators. Body Shape: The Titanoboa had an advantage in the shape of it's body. As previously mentioned with Boa's, the Titanoboa's shape is useful when strangling their victims as it can coil around them and squeeze so tight that the victim cannot breathe. Environmental preassures that could have caused this is that whilst killing method is used only Titanoboa's that were of the right shape survived and oddly shaped Titanoboa's were killed.Behavioural:Length: The Titanoboa's long thin shape makes for an effective travel system where the Titanoboa slivers along the forest floor keeping low and unseen. This method is very good for the Titanoboa to stealthily sneak up on it's prey and to then strike. The environmental preassure that most likely caused this would be that the thicker snakes or shorter snakes would have a hard time getting around and therefore not be able to hunt food as much.
Caution Method: The Titanoboa aswell as the regular Boa Constrictor hiss when they are threatened by a predator or even just a prey stumbling upon them. This hiss can warm anything in the area to stay clear of that area. This is very effective for not getting in unneccessary battles with other terretorial creatures. An environmental preassure that could have caused this would be something along the lines of snakes that didn't hiss would be involved in more random encounters therefore having more of a chance to die than the ones who did.
Physiological The Titanoboa like todays snakes is ectothermic (Cold-blooded) meaning that it relies upon outside methods of controlling it's body temperature. This means it's own body does not have to spend time and energy managing it's body temperature. This probably has come about from an environmental preassure of which Titanoboa's that were endothermic did not survive from events such as tiring out.
Meaning - Named after the mine it was discovered in
Possible Extinction Cause
There are many possible reasons for the extinction of the Titanoboa. The most prodominent though is that it's prey simply fled from it. The Titanoboa is of such size and ferocity that any possible prey would never want to encounter it. This means that it's food was never there for it to eat. Say this were to be true, what would end up happening is that the entire species would slowly starve and their population would thin out until no Titanoboa's were left. The other possible theory is that instead of dying out, the Titanoboa evolved into a less threatening animal such as the Boa Constrictor which would explain why we have it today. Bibliography Answers.com.(2010). What are the advantages and disadvantages of ectotherms. Retrieved July Wednesday 28th, 2010 fromhttp://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_advantages_and_disadvantages_of_ectotherms
Titanoboa
Retrieved From:http://sweaterpillows.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/titanoboa1.bmpand http://www.worldcountries.info/Maps/Region/SouthAmerica-450-Colombia.jpg
Habitat
The Titanoboa was found in columbia, thus it is thought that the titanoboa roamed in areas around South America in the tropics.The Titanoboa was most likely to roam these areas for multiple reasons.The first and most obvious is that the tropics offer a large amount of prey.
If rainforest is where most animals are found in todays time where most species have been wiped out and half the rainforest has been cut down, then one can only imagine the amount of life and diversity found in a rainforest back 60 millions years ago when this snake flourished.The Titanoboa because of it's size (12-15m) can almost kill and consume anything it wants.
Other reasons can be reasons such as the shrub and tree's provide cover for the Titanoboa to stealthily sneak up on it's prey. This is useful seeing as anything that spotted a Titanoboa would most likely flee the area.
The last reason may be that the tall tree's give the Titanoboa access to more variety of prey because the heights of the tree's give the Titanoboa opportunity to catch flying birds and to reach their nests.
Adaptations
Structural:
Large Size: The Titanoboa has a large advantage over other animals with it's sheer size. After the fall of the dinosaurs the Titanoboa stepped in as the number one predators and the reason is that it was simply bigger than other animals. This serpent swallows crocodiles as snacks which have been here since dinosaurs. A possible environmental preassure that caused it to be as such could be that only the biggest serpents survived in it's time with other large predators.
Body Shape: The Titanoboa had an advantage in the shape of it's body. As previously mentioned with Boa's, the Titanoboa's shape is useful when strangling their victims as it can coil around them and squeeze so tight that the victim cannot breathe. Environmental preassures that could have caused this is that whilst killing method is used only Titanoboa's that were of the right shape survived and oddly shaped Titanoboa's were killed.Behavioural:Length: The Titanoboa's long thin shape makes for an effective travel system where the Titanoboa slivers along the forest floor keeping low and unseen. This method is very good for the Titanoboa to stealthily sneak up on it's prey and to then strike. The environmental preassure that most likely caused this would be that the thicker snakes or shorter snakes would have a hard time getting around and therefore not be able to hunt food as much.
Caution Method: The Titanoboa aswell as the regular Boa Constrictor hiss when they are threatened by a predator or even just a prey stumbling upon them. This hiss can warm anything in the area to stay clear of that area. This is very effective for not getting in unneccessary battles with other terretorial creatures. An environmental preassure that could have caused this would be something along the lines of snakes that didn't hiss would be involved in more random encounters therefore having more of a chance to die than the ones who did.
Physiological
The Titanoboa like todays snakes is ectothermic (Cold-blooded) meaning that it relies upon outside methods of controlling it's body temperature. This means it's own body does not have to spend time and energy managing it's body temperature. This probably has come about from an environmental preassure of which Titanoboa's that were endothermic did not survive from events such as tiring out.
Retrieved From: http://scienceblogs.com/notrocketscience/upload/2009/02/titanoboa_-_thirteen_metres_one_tonne_largest_snake_ever/Titanoboa.jpg
Latin Name - cerrejonensis
Meaning - Named after the mine it was discovered in
Possible Extinction Cause
There are many possible reasons for the extinction of the Titanoboa. The most prodominent though is that it's prey simply fled from it. The Titanoboa is of such size and ferocity that any possible prey would never want to encounter it. This means that it's food was never there for it to eat. Say this were to be true, what would end up happening is that the entire species would slowly starve and their population would thin out until no Titanoboa's were left. The other possible theory is that instead of dying out, the Titanoboa evolved into a less threatening animal such as the Boa Constrictor which would explain why we have it today.
Bibliography
Answers.com.(2010). What are the advantages and disadvantages of ectotherms. Retrieved July Wednesday 28th, 2010 fromhttp://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_advantages_and_disadvantages_of_ectotherms
Wikipedia.(2010). Ecotherm. Retrieved July Wednesday 28th, 2010 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ectotherm
Wikipedia.(2010). Snake Internal Organs. Retrieved July Wednesday 28th, 2010 from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake#Internal_organs
Wikipedia.(2010). Titanoboa. Retrieved July Wednesday 28th, 2010 from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titanoboa
The Sunday Times. (2010). Giant Titanoboa snake ruled the earth after the dinosaurs. Retrieved July Wednesday 28th, 2010 from http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/science/article5662915.ece